One of my favorite times of the year has arrived, and it snuck up without me even realizing it. Kate Spade Surprise Sale! I’m not even really sure when it really started, thank god someone pinned it on Pinterest and I saw it last night. Normally I get the emails but I never saw one come through this time. But luckily it lasts until the 22nd so we’re allllll good. But aren’t sales the best thing since sliced bread? (Does anyone else wonder what the best thing was BEFORE sliced bread?) So don’t forget to check back this weekend for all the amazeballs Memorial Day sales that will be poppin up!

But KS Surprise Sales are the best time to buy Kate Spade because most of the stuff on there is like, 75% off retail. I mean, helllllllo, $498 bags for $169! Anywho, take a gander at some of the great stuff. Tons of bags, bunch of wallets, some clutches, jewelry, watches, they really offer a little bit of everything. Plus, spend $200, which is very easy on days like this, you get free ground shipping.

Check out some of my favorite pieces below. I noticed a few months ago then when I shop, I tend to stick to certain color patterns. Like, when I was at Nordstrom rack a few weeks ago, everything I picked up up was a shade of blue or floral. And lookie here, everything is a beige, yellow, gold and black situation for the most part. Minus that little pink wallet down in the corner who is just perfect. I think I’ll take her home with me, along with a couple others on this list! What are some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to see what everyone is lovin’ on!

As you many of you may know, I’m a huge fan of using my iPhone to capture my daily goings on. But sometimes the built in camera just isn’t enough and the filters on Insta are great, but in my opinion are a little too “trendy” for me. So for awhile I was using Camera+ which is a pretty good upgrade from the built in, but still wasn’t getting the job done like I wanted it to, I wanted more! So I found a new solution, enter VSCO Cam.

VSCO (Visual Supply Co) Cam has been around for about a year, but I’ve really only had it for the past six months or so, and really just realized its full potential after I drunkenly downloaded the entire set of filters for $5.99, whoops! Except not whoops, more like, Best. Drunk Move. Ever.

This app is simple. Everything is easy. But I will warn that when you first download VSCO Cam it definitely takes a little bit of getting used to. There are no labels on anything, just icons. So I recommend exploring for a bit when you first download it to get a feel for what it’s capable of.

I’ll start with the camera. I’ve recently started using VSCO as my main camera. The reason for this is that it’s much more extensive. I can touch to focus. I can turn on a grid and I can shoot in 1:1 ratio. Yes all of those things can be done in the iPhone camera. But I can also touch where I want focus my exposure, there is a new Tilt and Level feature that ensures I’m shooting my photos so that they’re properly aligned. I can turn on a mode for if I’m shooting in a darker setting or a brighter setting. Basically it gives you a lot more options to help make your shots that much better. So chic.

Then comes the part I love the most, the editing. There are a bunch of free filters to start off with. They don’t have cool names like Mayfair or Nashville, but their simple names (C2, F5, B6 etc) work just as great, if not better. You can flip over to the store and pick up a few more free ones, or purchase some. Like I said, I decided while drunkenly falling asleep in bed that I needed to have them all. I think they’re still the same price right now, 38 filters for 6 bucks. Not bad if you ask me, and unquestionably worth it in my opinion. It just gives you so many more options and I love options! From there, you can flip through your different filters to see what they look like on your image. Once you’ve decided on the right one, you can tap it again and up pops a slider on a 1-12 scale to let you decide if you want to pull back the intensity of the filter.

Now that you’ve got your filter, you can go even more in depth with your editing. All of your tools are icons like I mentioned earlier, so you have to tap them to see what they are. You start with your mainstays like exposure, contrast, saturation. But you also have your cropping options and your rotation options in here as well. Then it gets interesting by adding in temperature, fade, vignette (and not a gross vignette I’ll add), and tint. You can adjust shadows and highlights and sharpness and grain. And everything is done with an easy to use slider. Check out how different the same photo can look with the use of the different filters and editing tools. The top three are a pic my sister took while she was in Surrey, BC. She only used the tools, no filters needed. The others are mine, and I most def used filters.

I will throw in my two cents on what I think isn’t working for the app. Originally the creator had made a point to say that VSCO was made for editing and Instagram was made for sharing. But recently they’ve made a change and added “Grid” which is there not-so-great attempt at competing with Insta’s sharing capabilities. Unfortunately it’s just not doing it for me. No ability to like or comment. No way to see who is following you. It’s just not the experience I’m looking for when I’m trying to share my images. But honestly, it’s whatever, just don’t use it for sharing, use it for editing, what it was made for.

But when we get down to it, it’s essentially a light room on your camera. And it’s free. Does it get any better than that? Go download this right now or we can’t be friends anymore. Just kidding, we can, but my photos will most definitely look cooler than yours, so it’s really your call.

I’ll admit it, I’ve been awful in terms of posting this week. I left you high and dry and I’m sorry! I’ll be better next week, promise.I will say that one of the more exciting things that happened this week was throwing up at Mother’s Day brunch because I was so incredibly hung over. We were at my favorite tapas restaurant and it was a full on buffet and I took two strawberries and a piece of pineapple because I felt so miserable that I couldn’t even fathom the thought of actually eating food. I mean, I ordered a damn bloody mary and stared at it. I felt so bad for it, just so lonely on the white tablecloth, while all the other bloodies were getting all the attention. But there was no way, zero chance. I blame the vodka soaked gummy bears and jello shots I had the night before. Am I in college? No, I am not. I was just trying to be a good party guest by indulging in all of the options! Turns out, when you’re 26, these are what we refer to as poor decisions. The silver lining is that the puking occurred in the bathroom so I didn’t have to horrify the entire restaurant on Mother’s Day. Good times, sorry mom! I think the best part was my mom following me into the bathroom and announcing she knew I was going to vomit. A mother’s intuition I suppose! Moral of the story, drinking really does get harder the older you get.Anyway, hope you thoroughly enjoyed that delightful over share (fyi I’m the queen of TMI, so…sorry?), here are your weekend links!First order of business. NORDSTROM RACK IS ONLINE! Praise the online shopping gods! This. Is. Major. From a girl that used to dip baby carrots in A1 sauce, this new ad for the sauce really got me. So good. Do you ACTUALLY know your bra size? Apparently this app can tell you without any measuring tapes or sales associates. Seems questionable to me…Chipotle + design = uh, duh.Cannes had its opening ceremonies this week, take a look at some of the fash. But seriously, how does Jane Fonda still look that good!? She’s 76!! And Elena Lenina, I don’t know who you are, but I don’t think you’re the tooth fairy…just sayin’Well shit, turns out swearing is good for you.And so are bacon and butter?! God, I’m so down. Except I don’t even butter my toast, but I’ll definitely cover it in bacon.Even though the five gin and tonics I made myself Saturday may have contributed to my demise on Sunday, I still love me some gin. Here are some delicious looking gin cocktails that might turn you too! Gin Rickey? Yes please!Just because I don’t like Bey, doesn’t mean I’m not staying up to date on what the f is going on! Enjoy these absurd conspiracy theories.So Mad Men last Sunday? Anyone? Nipples? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?! And why are there only two episodes left, it just started! Damnit AMC, stop breaking up final seasons!Wanna feel old? Of course you don’t, but too bad, here are 30 things turing 30 this year.And I’m out! Have a great weekend, and try to stay warm since mother nature is being a total bitch again and deciding to drop back down to 40. So rude.L

Over the weekend I finished up the latest book I’d been reading called City of Thieves. I have this thing about books about WWII, I love ’em. I feel like that makes me weird or something, but then I think about all the other people that love them and I feel better about it. This book, written in 2008 by David Beinoff, takes a bit of a different view on the situation though. Quick fun fact though, Beinoff is married to Amanda Peet. I love Amanda Peet, I feel like she’s totally underrated, but I dig her!

The narrator of the story is Lev, a 16 or 17 year old (still unclear to me, probably wasn’t paying close enough attention, or he just lied about it so many times I can’t remember what the real age was) Soviet Jew living in Leningrad during the Nazi blockade. After getting caught trying to steal a knife off the body of a dead german trooper, he and a Red Army deserted named Kolya are given a near impossible task from a secret army colonial. His daughter is getting married and with a wedding their must be a wedding cake. Problem was, getting your hands on eggs in Leningrad at this time was about as easy as finding a cronut. Near impossible!

The tale goes on to follow them on their life-saving mission over the next five days. The people they run into, the trouble they come across, the sad situations they find themselves in is all incredibly interesting and sometimes funny, but the best part of the book for me was the relationship that the two unlikely partners form. Lev is a virgin and very uneducated about anything having to do with woman. Kolya is that exact opposite, and takes it upon himself to teach Lev the lady ropes. Their back and forth banter had my laughing out loud on more occasions that not. Kolya doesn’t seem to ever be worried about their impending death should they not succeed in their search. Lev is worried! They meet plenty of new characters along the way, some that you wish stuck around a little longer, and some that you wished you’d never met!

It’s an interesting juxtaposition, taking an incredibly serious subject and twisting it in a way that makes you smile. Again, this made me feel strange inside, I’m laughing about something that happened during this dark time in history? This isn’t ok, I don’t understand, I’m so unclear about how I should be feeling right now! But if you’re looking for a book that is historically accurate, darkly funny but still a feel-good-in-a-weird-way story, give this one a try.

Happy Friday! Can you believe it was almost 85 degrees yesterday? My weather app tried to tell me it was 91 but I can’t fathom that to be true, so I’m making up my own guess, it was hot, that is what I know to be true. And I’m so down with it. I feel like this week was the week to really get us over this hump, if I have to see another 40 degree day I may jump in front of traffic, I can’t take it anymore!

On deck this weekend, I’m seeing Nickel Creek tonight at The Riv! I’m so excited to could pee my pants. I won’t, but I could. I die for them to play this. If you didn’t know, they’ve been on hiatus for almost eight years now, so this is going to be epppic. I cannot wait! Saturday, more blog work with pops, it’s coming along nicely, I can’t wait to share the final product soon! Then an engagement party that evening, followed by a double Mother’s Day brunch celebration at one of my favorite tapas spots, with the extended family since my grandma is in town from Toronto. Looks like it’s going to be a good, good weekend folks!

I also wanna talk about something real quick: snapchat. So I downloaded the app last year, but then about six months ago I deleted it from my phone because I just didn’t get it. Why did I want to see videos of my friends singing along to the radio while driving down a country road (cough cough britt!), I just didn’t see the point. But since then I’ve had many people tell me they snapchatted me, except I deleted the app, but clearly I didn’t delete the account! So today I re-downloaded it and I’m really going to try to figure it out. If you have any tips or tricks, please let me know, because for the first time in my life, I just DO NOT GET this technology! I had a “story?” waiting for me from a friend of like, 20 different videos throughout the day of him eating sausages. I’m not kidding. Like, eating sausage in bed. I don’t understand. But that may be my friends, not the app. I’ll keep you updated on my Snapchat progress. Please don’t send me dick pics, I’m talking to you CK!

Ps, my bestie and I bought tickets to see Miley in August. Judge if you must, but I am SO friggin pumped! I wonder if she’ll hit up Underground again, because we’re definitely posting up there after the show (God help us!). And taking a personal day that Friday.

Ok, here are your links!

Like every twenty something city dweller, I love my Trader Joe’s. Take a look at their top selling items, an if you haven’t had Cookie Butter, you’re not living.

If you know me, you know I’m like, the biggest Friday Night Lights spokesperson ever! I love it so much. I know this isn’t new, but I love love love these pics of Zach Gilford’s wedding! Matt Saracen, you’ll always have my heart! Well, after Tim Riggins that is.

Apple will rule the world one day (if it doesn’t already, though the googs gives ’em a good run for their money). Apparently they’re buying this music company for a la-hot of doll hairs!

I know there were some rumors flying around about J.Crew Mercantile, or what some people assumed would be a cheaper Crew. Turns out, they were dirty, dirty lies! Excuse me while I go cry to my bank account.

Speaking of JCrew, and in honor of the name of this bloggity blog, check out what customers are calling the best chambray in the game.

The Met Gala happened this week(end?) Please enjoy this worst dressed list. Hey Elizabeth Olsen, why are you dressed like Tara Lipinski circa 1999? And Lena Dunham, come on, is that seriously the best you can do?

This article about one of hollywood’s most hilarious directors is interesting AND funny, but more importantly includes a clip of zac efron without a shirt on so, yeah, you’re welcome.

Had to share this hilarious sketch from SNL in case you missed it last week. Because I’m one of those people that they’d come after. I’ll admit it: I’m. Not. A. Beyonce. Fan. Please don’t stop reading!

You guys, a name you need to know: Grace Choi. She’s come up with a way to PRINT MAKEUP AT HOME! Fuggin’ love 3D printers!

Here’s a feel good link for the day! Crowdfunding is seriously the best and good people are awesome!